Cashen Pitches New Idea for Electric Vehicles

Electric Motors and Vehicles Co. (EMAV), a global technology, product development and production company focused on rugged electric vehicles and electric vehicle technologies, today (Nov. 1) announced the expansion of its relationship with Mopar.

Wakarusa, Ind.-based EMAV will provide investigative R&D, design and engineering for the EMAV power regeneration unit (PRU) trailer, a patent-pending self-propelled electric vehicle power regeneration system that substantially extends the range of any electric vehicle, according to a news release.

The introduction of the PRU follows the Mopar – Jeep Off Road Camper/Trailer series, the first vehicle line engineered, tested and assembled by EMAV as a tier two supplier to Mopar; it is currently being sold through the Chrysler network of over 2,500 dealers in North America. EMAV intends to deliver further rugged tech products to the market in 2011.

The PRU is an evolution of the Jeep Off Road Camper/Trailers, integrated with electric control technologies developed by EMAV. This new electric car range extender is expected to hit the market in the second half of 2011, with a running prototype scheduled for Q1 2011.

The PRU will benefit owners of electric vehicles sold globally by making it possible to take an already capable electric vehicle on much longer trips, and enabling consumers to charge their electric vehicle where infrastructure does not yet exist. The PRU is intended to supply electric energy to any electric vehicle over the next 10 years while the government and the transportation industry establish the necessary national electric vehicle charging station infrastructure.

“For electric cars to be truly viable for a mass consumer audience, we need to bridge the gap between low-range electric vehicles that can travel moderate distances to electric vehicles which can truly become the sole family vehicle,” said Wil Cashen, founder and president, EMAV and formerly affiliated with Electric Motors Corp. “JD Power says that sales of electric vehicles will hit only 2 million in 2020 – that is slow adoption, much due to the current range of these vehicles. Our goal is to move the marketplace beyond the first generation of electric vehicles to more powerful and rugged cars that also have endurance. This will evolve the electric car paradigm from a supplemental to a primary car for consumers.”

Internally tasked with activating the lifestyle segment for Jeep as a tier two supplier, EMAV’s Tech Camper/Trailers offer the rugged design elements popular with off-road vehicles such as Jeep. The EMAV Tech Camper/Trailers have been engineered and trail-tested over 300,000 miles, becoming the first camper/trailer to win the coveted Jeep “Trail Rated” badge. EMAV’s Tech Camper/Trailers can be purchased in a number of designs to fit active lifestyles, such as camping, extreme off-roading, hunting, or fishing.

EMAV currently has patents pending for numerous electric vehicle power regeneration systems, vehicle electronics, and electric drive systems technologies, many of which are expected to be introduced to the global markets in late 2011. In the coming year EMAV will continue its strategic, incremental approach to product development with Mopar and through other new markets to introduce practical, common sense ideas that work.